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Opening Day in the major leagues will be ushered in with a chill, but the accompanying wind may give batters a boost.

The first pitch of the season will be Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals.

The temperature at the start of the game was 39 degrees, with winds from the northwest at about 15 mph. The home plate at PNC Park faces southeast, so batters stood to benefit from the wind giving balls an extra push into the outfield.

The game, however, wasn't particularly high-scoring, with the Bucs getting the 4 to 1 win for their home crowd.

Nearly two weeks into spring, a large swath of the nation may experience a final gust of winter Sunday and Monday.

Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 17 in Washington. The trees reached peak bloom this week.

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Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

Peak bloom is reached when 70% of the blossoms are open on the Yoshino cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin.

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Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

The festival marks the 1912 gift from Tokyo of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington.

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Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

The Jefferson Memorial framed by cherry blossoms is one of the classic photographs captured by visitors.

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Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

On Tuesday evening, a rising full moon added a bit of drama to the budding trees along Washington's Tidal Basin.

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Photos:Now's the time for cherry blossoms

There are usually fewer blossom-peepers during the week.

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When the Washington Nationals held the annual Blossoms and Baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, temperatures reached the low 80s. The exhibition is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival -- billed as the "nation's greatest springtime celebration."

But a surge of cold air across the East trails this brief taste of spring.

Most of Massachusetts will be under wind advisories Sunday, with strong to damaging winds near hurricane force possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service has issued high wind warnings for portions of the Northeast and Midwest.

Snow, and even thunder snow, is likely, with accumulations of 1 to 3 inches away from the state's coastal plains, the agency reported.

The turnaround comes days after temperatures in Boston hit the 60s. On Friday, the city saw a high of 69. The high was forecast to be 38 on Sunday.